Work, Leaving Parties and University Shopping

A lot of my time since I came back from Germany has been spent working, which is good because it means I have a nice amount of money saved up for University. And as part time jobs go, mine really isn't too bad. I work in quite a small pub/restaurant, and all the other people who work there are really nice.

One of the girls at work is in her second year of Uni, and so when she left to go back to Uni the other day, we had a little leaving party on the beach. It was really nice - there was a bonfire, and music, and alcohol of course (which I may have drunk a little too much of).

Speaking of leaving parties, one of my friends is off to start Uni today(!), so on Wednesday I went out with a few of my friends for cocktails. It was meant to be a birthday celebration for another of my friends as well, but unfortunately she couldn't make it as she was ill. It was a great evening anyway. We sipped our cocktails and chatted, and then I went back to my friends house and watched The Great British Bake Off. It was strange to say goodbye in the morning, knowing that we won't see each other again until Christmas, and that the next time we do see each other our lives will be completely different.

As well as working and occasionally meeting up with friends, I have been doing lots of shopping for things for University. Who knew that I would get excited about buying mugs and kitchen utensils? There is now a huge pile of stuff in the corner of my room, and I'm not really sure where to put it. There's only one week to go now though (how exciting is that?!), so I guess I should probably start packing it all up soon. Knowing me I will probably leave it all til the night before, and then panic and end up forgetting something really important.

As well as buying actual useful things such as pots and pans and bedding etc. for university, I have also been buying quite a few fancy dress items. the reason for this is that the first week of University in the UK (called freshers week) is basically just a week of parties, many of which require fancy dress. If anyone looked at my Amazon purchase history they would probably think I was very strange - the last two things I bought were a cowboy hat and a viking helmet!

I hope you enjoyed this little ramble.

Freya x

This is Really Happening

I have accepted one university offer, chosen one as an insurance choice, and declined the other three. My student finance application has been completed and approved. Come September I will really be heading off to University.

I am so incredibly excited! My friends are nervous about school ending, moving away, and everything changing. But I can't wait for things to change. Not because my life is terrible - because it isn't. Or because I am unhappy - because I am not. But because I actually like change. I want the excitement of a new place. I want somewhere new, somewhere different, and altogether better. Somewhere where I can be whoever I want to be. Somewhere where I can completely reinvent myself and become a totally different person. Not that I will, but it is nice to know that the opportunity is there.

It is strange though, because this time last year I had a completely different plan in mind. I wanted to jet off to America for university, or take a gap year and become an Au pair. When I started thinking about this I wondered what had happened to that girl? The brave girl with big plans who was willing to throw caution to the wind and live while she was young. Am I still that girl? Or did I get scared and decide to take the safe option? Am I making a huge mistake? Am I going to regret not taking a gap year, or becoming an Au pair, or studying abroad?

These questions filled my mind. I didn't know what to do. And to be honest I still didn't know when I sat down to write this post. But that is one of the many wonderful things about blogging: it helps you to see things more clearly. For me it does anyway. Writing it all down helps me to organise my thoughts and figure things out. And now I know that I'm not making a mistake. Going to University here in England is the right thing for me.

Freya x

A Little Trip To York

On Friday I went up to York for a University visit day. It wasn't until Saturday afternoon, so that meant that I had some time to look around York on Friday evening and Saturday morning. It is a gorgeous city - I forgot to bring my camera though, so I don't have any photos - and I had a really nice time. I was cold though - it is up North after all - so I ended up consuming far too many Hot Chocolates, and Chai Lattes as well, and not forgetting some good, strong Yorkshire Tea - so basically a lot of Hot Drinks.

When we arrived on Friday it was about 4pm and it was pouring with rain, so we quickly got on a bus to our hotel. Fortunately it stopped raining around 6, so we could go out and get some dinner. Of course it started raining again, so we quickly ducked out of the rain and into Prezzo, where I had a delicious dinner of Bruschetta, Pizza and Raspberry Cheesecake. Yum. 

The next day we decided that rather than eating breakfast in the hotel we would go out and find somewhere for breakfast, since thankfully it wasn't raining. So I had a huge breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon, toast and hot chocolate, and I thought I wouldn't be able to eat again all day. I did manage a ham and cheese panini by lunch time though. We spent the rest of the morning wandering around the city and doing a bit of shopping. Then we went to the university were we were shown around and told about the course etc.

It was then time to head home, so we collected our bag and started the 4 hour journey home. It wasn't such a bad journey since I had Starbucks and the Company Paris issue to keep me occupied. I do really want to go to Paris after reading that though. And to start dressing like one of those effortlessly-cool French girls. Don't be surprised if you see me walking round in a beret some time soon. 

Freya x

A Couple of Little Updates

NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS:

I thought that I would give you guys a little update on my new years resolutions so that hopefully I can inspire you to keep going with your own or more likely make you feel better, knowing that you aren't the only one failing.

1) Eat Healthier/ Exercise more - I am failing miserably at this new years resolution so far. I have as usual been eating way too much junk food, and spending my time watching Netflix/ YouTube.

2) Make the most of the rest of the school year (spend more time with my friends) - I think that I am doing pretty well at this one. I went out to dinner with my friends on Saturday to catch up since we hadn't seen each other at all over the holidays, and we have decided that we are all going to go on holiday after exams this summer. I am really excited about that, although I do need to stop spending so much money, and start saving. It is going to be difficult, there are so many things that I want to buy right now...

3) Think about big decisions properly - I have sort of not really been thinking about where I want to go to uni much, but at this current moment I do have tabs open of all of the unis I am thinking of going to, so I can compare the courses, and I have booked a couple of visit days so that I can have a look around. This brings me quite nicely onto the other thing I wanted to update you guys on...

UNI OFFERS:

So as of Friday I actually have an offer from all of the Universities that I a applied to! I am so surprised and excited! Now there is just the question of narrowing it down to only two of them - a firm and insurance choice.

Personal Statements and Ucas

I finished my personal statement yesterday and sent my ucas (basically how you apply to university's in the UK) off today! I don't know how many of you have had to write a personal statement, or will have to write one in the future, but it is the most awful thing I have ever had to write. I am so glad that I have finished it and it is all sent off.

Now I just have to wait for my school to check my application, enter my predicted grades, and for my tutor to write my reference, and then it will be sent to the universities.  

I am pretty terrified right now if I'm honest. What if I don't get any offers? It terrifies me that there is no longer anything I can do about it. I just have to wait and hope that I get some offers. Fingers Crossed.

Looking Back

I have had this blog for over a year now, and I was randomly wondering how much I have changed since my first ever post (which was in may 2012). So I had a look at it, and surprisingly not much has really changed.

I mean I am no longer obsessed with reading fanfiction or glee. But I am pretty sure that I have new TV show obsessions to replace that.

The other thing that I noticed was that in that first ever post I was worrying about choosing my A-level options. That is pretty similar to right now, in that I am now choosing which universities to apply to. I have pretty much chosen, but I still do this thing where I will keep changing my mind right up until the last minute. And then in the end I will choose what I chose in the first place. I don't know why that is, I am just really bad at making decisions. I am always scared that I will make the wrong ones.

Something that has changed since then is that I thought that I had to have my whole life figured out. Now I have decided what degree I want to do, but beyond that I have no idea. And that is okay. I don't have to decide everything now, because even if I do I will probably change mind by the time that time comes anyway.

Similarly to that first post, I am going to leave you with a quote from my favourite book:

"You spend your whole life stuck in the labyrinth, thinking how you'll escape it one day, and how awesome it will be, and imagining that future keeps you going, but you never do it. You just use the future to escape the present" - Looking for Alaska by John Green

Growing Up

On Friday I went round my friend's house, she can drive now so she picked us (me and 3 other friends) up from school. Being in a car driven by my friend I actually felt so grown up. Grown up in a good way. The type of grown up that gives you freedom and independence.

But lately I have also been feeling like I am grown up in a bad way. The kind of grown up where I have to make big life decisions. I say that this is 'grown up in a bad way' because it is scary, and I don't know if I am ready to make decisions that could affect my whole future. But will I ever be ready? Is anyone ever ready? Does anyone really know what they want to do? Maybe a few do. But I think that for most of us we just have to take the leap. We have to decide something, and hope to god that we chose well.

I went to a University fair with school last week and I think that I have decided that I want to study psychology. What I want to do after that I don't know. But hey, I still have a few years to figure that one out.

Freya x

London

So I went to London yesterday to go to a University fair, and it struck me how different London feels after having gone to NYC. Being the small town girl that I am, London has always been the big busy city, but yesterday it really didn't seem busy. There were quite a few people at Trafalgar square when we walked past, but really it wasn't very busy at all. Maybe it is the time of year or something.

But anyway it was the first nice day we have had in a while, and it was so nice to just be able to walk from the Conference centre (where the University fair was held), to the theatre. Google chrome has it's own spell check, and for some reason it seems to think that centre is spelt center and theatre is spelt theater, so I just had an intense moment of questioning my entire life because I can no longer spell. I'm just kidding, but I did become rather confused, and had to do three different spell checks.... So anyway side track aside, what was I actually saying in this post? Aah yes London. So anyway I went to see the Musical Jersey Boys, which was good, but doesn't beat We Will Rock You for my favourite musical ever. 

So anyway this spell check is really confusing me, so I need to go find some way to turn it off. 

Freya x

"I go to seek a great perhaps"

"I go to seek a great perhaps" - the last words of a poet named Francois Rabelais as written in the book Looking for Alaska.

In the book the main character, Miles, wants to go to boarding school so that he doesn't have to wait until he dies to start seeking a great perhaps. And I was thinking that I would like to find my Great Perhaps. So I finally decided once and for all that I am going to go to University in America. Once I had decided this I finally stopped feeling scared about University, and started to feel excited (although a little scared still of course, but good scared).

I will have to take the SATs and because I am hoping to get a scholarship for part of the tuition fees I will have to work really hard, but I know that I want to do this so I don't mind. I know that I want to experience a new culture and be completely away from everything I know for a while. It feels great to finally know what I want to do after school (even though I still don't know which university I wan't to go to), because for so long all I have felt when someone mentions University is panic and uncertainty.

Freya x